


blossom & bloom (king of brilliant shining foreheads)

by obsessivelymoody



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Anxiety, but there's no real description of feeling anxious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 02:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14684727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsessivelymoody/pseuds/obsessivelymoody
Summary: Dan helps Phil decide to get a haircut





	blossom & bloom (king of brilliant shining foreheads)

“Should I just do it?”

“Do what?” Dan asks, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and rolling over to face Phil. 

“Change my hair.” Phil’s voice is quiet, and Dan watches him wring his hands. 

He places a hand over Phil’s, rubbing circles into the back of Phil’s hand with his thumb. 

The last time Dan pushed Phil’s hair back, already half-quiffed from sleep, he kissed Phil’s temple, whispering about how gorgeous he was in that moment, and that he should consider getting a full-time quiff. Phil took off his glasses then, and ran his hands over his face. 

“What am I going to do, Dan?” He said, and after a moment of confusion, Dan felt everything click into place. 

“This isn’t just about your hair, is it?” Dan replied gently. 

“What’s AmazingPhil without emo hair? Would people stop caring if I become _just_ that weird guy who’s the other half of ‘Dan and Phil’?” Phil sighed. 

Dan hadn’t realised that Phil’s anxiety about his hair ran so deep. Unsure of how to respond, Dan made a mental note to ask his therapist about this during his next appointment. He snuggled into Phil’s shoulder. 

“I don’t think that’s going to happen. People watch you because of _you_ , not because of your hair.” Dan kept a soft tone, and Phil mumbled in agreement, putting his glasses back on. 

Dan watched him pick up his phone and open Twitter, feeling his heart ache at his inability to smooth the tension and worry in Phil’s face at that moment. 

Now, a week or so later, Dan continues to rub Phil’s hands, sucking in a deep breath before opening his mouth to use the advice his therapist offered him a few days prior. 

“You know, when I rebranded, I was terrified of what people would think,” Dan says, taking both of Phil’s hands in his and lightly massaging Phil’s palms. 

“I remember,” Phil replies, shutting his eyes for a moment. 

“But I had to do it,” Dan continues, “I wasn’t ‘danisnotonfire’ anymore, and it only felt natural to change everything to ‘Daniel Howell’.” 

“I was 15 when I came up with that name and 21 when it started to mean something important to my career, but at 25, I knew I wasn’t that Dan anymore.”  
“Right, and—”

“Can I finish please?” Dan feels bad about cutting Phil off, but he knows that if he doesn’t say everything right now, the meaning will be lost. 

Phil nods and Dan offers a him a small smile before carrying on. 

“We aren’t the same people we were 10 years ago, and we both know that we can’t continue being those people. It’s just not healthy.”

“Besides,” Dan says, “We all grow and change, and stifling that would only make us unhappy. And people don’t want to watch anyone be unhappy, even if it means sticking with the familiar.” 

“I guess so,” Phil says. 

“I just think that people would rather watch you be happy than be smothered by maintaining ‘AmazingPhil’,” Dan says, bringing Phil’s hands up to his mouth, “And _I_ don’t want to see you unhappy, babe.”

“Plus,” Dan adds, pressing his mouth to the back of Phil’s left hand, “You look so hot with your hair like that.” 

Phil lets out a small laugh and leans back against their pillows. 

“Okay, I think I see what you mean.” 

Dan kisses Phil’s hand again, a smile forming on his lips. 

\---

“Oh, _Phil_ ,” Dan says, walking back into their bedroom, juggling three glasses of water. 

“What? Does it look terrible?”

The hairdresser snorts, combing through Phil’s hair one last time before setting his tools down and taking a glass from Dan, thanking him. 

“Honestly, mate, I think this is a serious improvement,” The hairdresser—who Dan thinks is called Jim—says. 

Dan sets the remaining waters down and turns to watch Phil look at himself in the mirror. He watches Phil bring his hands up to his hair twice, to nervously run his fingers through it. Phil stops himself both times, but Dan can tell Phil wants to do nothing more than hide behind his fringe. 

“You look gorgeous, Phil,” Dan says, placing a hand on Phil’s shoulder. 

“You like it?” Phil brings his hands up to his head again before quickly dropping them. 

“I love it,” Dan replies, “Do you?” 

“I—yes,” Phil turns to Jim, “I really do, thank you.” 

“My pleasure,” Jim says, smiling at Phil before turning around to pack up his tools. 

“I can’t believe how _visible_ by forehead is right now,” Phil says, turning his head to look at his hair from the side. 

“You’ve got a great forehead, Phil,” Dan moves his hand to the back of Phil’s neck, “You _should_ be showing it off more.” 

“Thank you,” Phil says, staring at himself in the mirror for a moment before looking up at Dan, “For convincing me. And listening.” 

Phil spent weeks trying to decide whether or not he should make a hair appointment, and Dan listened to Phil’s contemplations, offering advice and sympathy. He slowly pushed Phil towards making the appointment, knowing that once Phil did it, the anxious weight on Phil’s shoulders would dissipate in favour of the comfort and confidence Phil holds when he’s alone with Dan, hair pushed back and contacts safely stored away in their case. Dan was thrilled when Phil told him he called the hairdresser, and is even more thrilled to see Phil admiring his new hair in their mirror and looking so damn pretty while doing it. 

“What else do you think I’m here for, you spoon?” Dan laughs, and holds a hand out to Phil, “C’mon, let’s show the internet your wonderful, brand new forehead.”

**Author's Note:**

> dan's comment on phil's video made me soft so here i am, 900ish words later haha
> 
> reblog/like on [tumblr](https://obsessivelymoody.tumblr.com/post/173978041557/blossom-bloom-king-of-brilliant-shining)


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